I hope everyone feels they are studying well on the content assigned. Please check out the answers and rationales to this week's questions. I will try to work on how the reading correlates to the older edition, but in the meantime, those with the older version of the text book can use the index of the book to find more information on each topic. When taking this test, I found it very helpful to write out information on note cards and study when in the car or even look up videos on ways to remember assessment and developmental stages. Leave ideas and collaborate on the discussion board on ways that are helping you get through the readings and remembering the content. Practice questions always help a lot too to understand how to best practice for this exam. Here are the questions and rationales for this week:
Question 1: Hypertension can be seen in 3.5% of children and youth. Which answer best defines the practice of the school nurse.
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Refer students to their primary care after single reading is above normal range for their age group.
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Initiate health education around nutrition, tobacco use, dating, and suicide.
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Use the pediatric cuff for all elementary school age children.
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Consider age and height when determining whether bp is within normal range.
Correct Answer: B.
Rationale: At least 3 readings should be taken before determining the need for medical evaluation. Although health education is important, focus on preventing obesity, balanced diet, caffeine, second hand smoke and certain drugs could be linked to hypertension. Cuff size should be determined by measuring the arm circumference midway between the olecranon and the acromion.
According to the AAP published Clinical Practice Guideline for Screening and Management of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents, 2017 blood pressure tables now consider age and height. In addition to children who are overweight, children with sleep disordered breathing, chronic kidney disease, and a history of low birth weight may be at risk for hypertension. Normal average BP ranges age 3: 90/50, Age 10: 100/62, and age 17:120/80.
Domain: 1 Health Appraisal & Nursing Practice
Reference: Selekman, J. & Knox, E. (Eds.). (2025). School Nursing Certification Review. (4th edition). National Board for Certification of School Nurses. P 49-50.
R. Shannon, & C. Yonkaitis, C. (Eds.). (2025). School Nursing: A Comprehensive Text (4th edition). F.A. Davis Company. P 176-178.
Question 2: An Elementary age child requires daily glucose monitoring. Currently, there is not a nurse assigned to the school. As the floating RN, which tasks would you train an Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP) to safely perform under your supervision.
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Adjusting the insulin pump dose based on the readings.
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Support UAP to manage hypoglycemia independently.
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Complete the glucose check as outlined in the plan of care and report the results to the RN.
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Create the student diabetes care plan from the physician's orders.
Correct Answer: C.
Rationale: ***Be sure to know your state's nurse practice act regarding whether delegation of medications or procedures to UAP's is allowed and under what circumstances.
The UAP would be instructed to perform data collection tasks under the RN. A, B and D would require the nurse clinical judgement and not an expectation for a UAP. These would be the RN's responsibility.
Domain: 2
Reference: Selekman, J. & Knox, E. (Eds.). (2025). School Nursing Certification Review. (4th edition). National Board for Certification of School Nurses. P.140-143, 294.
R. Shannon, & C. Yonkaitis, C. (Eds.). (2025). School Nursing: A Comprehensive Text (4th edition). F.A. Davis Company. P. 529-534, 764-765.
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Alana Parker MSN-Ed, BSN, RN, NCSN
Mesa, AZ United States
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